Re: What Rye Are You Drinking? Autumn 2012

Last night I had the opportunity to get together with fellow member and rye lover Chris24 and do some voting of a different kind. We combined collections and put together a flight of the Hirsch Rye Whiskeys. We tasted through the 21, 22, and 25-year expressions, which yielded some unexpected results:

The Hirsch 21 is a smooth-drinking rye…almost too smooth. It seemed much closer to a bourbon profile than any of the others in that it lacked that creeping rye spice I typically prefer. Unsurprisingly, the youngest of the three had the least amount of wood on the palate and finish and when compared to the 22, showed much less barrel influence than a one-year difference would typically yield. The finish was very nice, though a bit subtle compared to the others. The 21 is a very good whiskey and a very enjoyable sipper, but it did not stand out in a way I typically look for in a stellar ultra-aged rye. In fact, I think I still prefer the rye and baking spice of the lower-priced and easier to find Vintage 21.

Black Maple Hill 23 is my favorite whiskey; it has a very distinct profile that I absolutely love. It was immediately recognizable to me that that the Hirsch 22 and the BMH23 came from the same source. The nose of the 22 was full and rich, bringing out some subtle spiciness and dark fruit that the 21 lacked. The palate was outstanding - nice brown sugar notes, a distinct black cherry note hanging out in the background, and the always welcome rye spice. This whiskey also had a lot of wood influence, but in a good way that brings depth to the equation while not overpowering the other flavors. The finish was very nice with a deep exhale bringing out more of the black cherry and rye notes. While the BMH23 is superior due to being a bit smoother and richer, the Hirsch 22 shares many similarities and is very good.

Having tried the Hirsch 25 before, I found it a difficult whiskey to come to grips with; last night was no different. This is a dark, thick, chewy beast that shows a lot of barrel influence after 25 years. The wood really is at the forefront while the extra age mellows some of the rye spiciness. Overall, I think I prefer the vibrancy the other two expressions had.

During this tasting, it was immediately obvious to both of us that the 22 is definitely not the 21 with an extra year on it. The profiles of these two whiskeys were not even ballpark. It is obviously unknown where these whiskeys came from, but I do not think they could have possibly originated from the same set of barrels.

Overall, I found the Hirsch 22 to be the best of the three. I placed the 21 in second for its smooth, easy drinking character. As for the 25, it still seems a bit heavy and old for my tastes. Overall, a great night and I feel lucky to have tried all of these in one sitting.